Alumni Stories - Marie-Therese Walker
"While getting my portfolio together, I attended an evening course at NCAD in the metals and jewellery department. It was part of the NCAD CEAD programme. I really loved it. I could see the students coming in and out with all their work. I really wanted to be a part of it."
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Name: Marie-Therese Walker
Current Career: Goldsmith and Jewellery Designer
Graduation Year: 2005
Discipline: Jewellery & Objects
Location: Tipperary
What career path did you want to follow as a child?
I don’t remember wanting to be anything in particular, but I do remember that I always made things. It didn’t matter what it was, I just liked to make things and to use my hands. My grandmother was very creative and knitted and crocheted a lot. Until he retired, my father was an architectural technician. Both of them inspired me and my love for design.
In my early teens, I got a job as a part-time teaching assistant at Pine Forest Arts and Craft Centre. A few years later, I became a part-time teacher there and worked with them for quite a few years. This established my love of craft because I got to experiment with pottery, enamels, wirework….etc.
Why did you decide to study at National College of Art & Design?
NCAD had all the courses that I was most interested in. I had seen their end-of-year exhibitions and was in awe of the work being produced by the students. Significantly, while getting my portfolio together, I attended an evening course at NCAD in the metals and jewellery department. It was part of the NCAD CEAD programme. I really loved it. I could see the students coming in and out with all their work. I really wanted to be a part of it.
How did you develop your career towards your current job or practice?
After graduating from NCAD, I travelled to New Zealand and worked as a technician on a jewellery course in Whitteria Polytechnic College in Wellington. I then went on to work with enamellist Sally Laing in her studio in Taranaki. This was a great experience. NCAD had given me a strong design background and confidence in my ideas but I wanted to improve my technical skills.
When I returned to Ireland, I applied to the Goldsmithing Skills course run by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland in Kilkenny. During the course, I set up my own workshop. I also worked part-time with master goldsmiths JMK Goldsmiths in Kilkenny. James Mary Kelly and his son Neill were very good to me during my time with them. They generously shared their knowledge, experience, and skills.
In 2018, I moved to Nenagh in Tipperary. I set up my current workshop and gallery. It has been a brilliant success. I’m looking forward to seeing where I can bring my business in the future.
What is the one experience during your time at NCAD that has informed you most in your career and work to date?
During my degree at NCAD the people and lecturers I met were great. The lecturers seemed to know how far they could push me with my work. They provided a good balance of advice by providing encouragement at the right times but also by providing constructive criticism when I needed it most. My peers were also like-minded and supportive. They freely shared information and were always there to bounce ideas around. I enjoyed the creative environment NCAD offered.
During my 3rd year at NCAD, I was thrilled and honoured to win the NCAD Annual Silverware Design Competition, in partnership with Kenwood in 2004. At that time, the design competition was in its tenth year. The design award provided a financial prize. More importantly, each year the winning piece of silverware becomes part of the NCAD Permanent Collection of Silverware on perpetual exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks. Having my silverware in this collection at the National Museum of Ireland has brought me immense personal pride and confidence in my work.
If you were chatting with current NCAD students today what is the one piece of advice you would offer?
A good friend at NCAD shared some great advice which helped me to reach a new level of craftsmanship. They said, “Some things work, some things don't.” It sounds so simple doesn’t it? As a perfectionist you can be far too afraid to try new ideas. You fear the new ideas won’t be good enough. Developing a “Some things work, some things don't.” mindset keeps me experimenting. It and frees up my headspace to create new work without the fear of failure.
Portfolio Links:
Email: info@mtwjewellery.com
